Frequently Asked Questions

What is a postpartum doula?

By definition, the word doula comes from Greek and means “woman who serves.” Today the term doula is used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides who provides emotional and practical support to the parents and baby during the postpartum period. To me, it means being there for you however you need.

What does a postpartum doula do?

At my core, I believe my role is to do whatever you need me to do so you can to best enjoy and care for your new baby and family. As a result, specific tasks really do vary from family to family. But, I see myself as a teacher, a coach, a cheerleader and a friend. A big part of what I do is supporting you in making the choices that you want make. You can learn more about services I provide here.

What is the difference between a baby nurse and a postpartum doula?

A very fair and balanced article on this can be found here. But, in short…

A postpartum doula is a trained and experienced professional who aids new parents through education, information and support. Her focus is on the whole family as a unit (mom, partner, baby, siblings, pets), providing care and support, assisting the family wherever help might be needed and allowing mom to recover from birth.

A baby nurse is a non-medical care provider, who may also be called a newborn care specialist. Her primary focus is on the baby and many times taking over care for extended periods of time.

I work with a handful of carefully selected partners to offer overnight care to my families. If overnight care was purchased as part of your package, you would have the opportunity to meet with the overnight doula in addition to meeting with me.

Do you provide overnight care?

Have you ever worked in conjunction with a night nurse?

I have! One of the things I specialize in is helping foster an understanding between you and your baby. If you’ve hired a night nurse, oftentimes, she will leave in the morning before you’ve even gotten up. This puts you at a distinct disadvantage down the line because you don’t know what happens with your baby at night. Supporting communication between your night nurse and you is part of my job!

What would you do during a typical postpartum day with us?

There is no “typical” because what I do is entirely related to what you need. My tasks can be anything from holding your baby so you can take a nap to going shopping with you for gear you need to providing research-based education on baby care. You can read more about what I do in a day here.

Ideally, we would book prenatally (when you’re around 24 weeks is good) so I can help you prepare for your postpartum period when you’re not “in the thick of it.” This also allows you to make sure I'm available when baby comes. That said, whenever you need me, you should reach out and if I’m available, I will do my best to support you.

How far in advance do I need to secure your services?

What is your fee, and what does it include?

My packages and fees can be found here. All packages (with the exception of the Welcome Home Gift) include one 60-minute prenatal visit to discuss your postpartum preferences, dietary needs, and expectations in addition to unlimited e-mail, phone, and text support after the birth of your baby for the duration of our contract.